Jordan, Olivia - A Bride for Two Studs [Male Order, Texas] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  Male Order, Texas

  A Bride for Two Studs

  Seeking to salvage her academic reputation, graduate student Carissa Yarborough is visiting Male Order, studying menageamy for her thesis. Through her research she meets Perry Williams and Del Jacobsen, who are both eager to introduce Carissa to the practice of menageamy, rather than the theory. But Carissa resists their temptations, unwilling to compromise her objectivity.

  Perry and Del have been best friends all their lives, though in recent years their friendship has been on the rocks. Their common interest in Carissa starts to make them close again, especially as they work together to stop local resistance to her project.

  Just as Carissa is learning how to strike a balance between love and work, both her thesis and her life are threatened. Afraid to trust her new lovers, she needs to learn to let go of her past and open herself up to love if she’s going to survive the summer.

  Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Western/Cowboys

  Length: 36,172 words

  A BRIDE FOR TWO STUDS

  Male Order, Texas

  Olivia Jordan

  MENAGE EVERLASTING

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

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  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting

  A BRIDE FOR TWO STUDS

  Copyright © 2011 by Olivia Jordan

  E-book ISBN: 1-61034-723-4

  First E-book Publication: July 2011

  Cover design by Les Byerley

  All art and logo copyright © 2011 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  Letter to Readers

  Dear Readers,

  If you have purchased this copy of A Bride for Two Studs by Olivia Jordan from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

  Regarding E-book Piracy

  This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.

  The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.

  This is Olivia Jordan’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Jordan’s right to earn a living from her work.

  Amanda Hilton, Publisher

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  www.BookStrand.com

  DEDICATION

  For Reesa, whose enthusiasm for my writing sustains me, and whose passion for life inspires me.

  A BRIDE FOR TWO STUDS

  Male Order, Texas

  OLIVIA JORDAN

  Copyright © 2011

  Chapter 1

  Carissa tried not to shake as she guided her car through Male Order. She wasn’t sure if she was more nervous about the interview or about the beat-up blue sedan that seemed to have been following her. She might not have noticed had it not looked so out of place in the wealthy town of Male Order, but it stood out among the polished, well-maintained BMWs and Lamborghinis. It had also followed her through the center of town, towards the waterfront district, where she was driving to conduct the first interview of her thesis project. Half a mile from her destination, the car finally turned down a side street, and Carissa chided herself for worrying about being followed.

  You have to calm down. You’re not going to give a good interview if you’re a nervous wreck, and you need to do well on this. Not just to graduate, but because you stand a chance of winning that research award. You need this to prove yourself, to show the faculty that your previous academic mistakes are distant memories.

  Carissa stopped at the door of Perry Williams’s house. After a few deep breaths, she steeled her nerves and rang the bell. When the door opened, she almost fell backwards at the sight of the handsome man standing before her. He had a start on his summer tan, and his brown hair was streaked with sun-kissed highlights. His tight T-shirt emphasized his trim, muscled body, and she could tell that his lips would be perfect for kissing.

  He held out his hand. “Perry Williams. Good to meet you.”

  “Carissa Yarborough. Likewise.” She shook his hand, hoping her grip was strong enough to command respect.

  “It seems that Del is running late, but please come in. Can I get you anything? I have some beer and some really nice wine that I’ve been saving for company.”

  “Just water, thanks. I never drink when I’m working.”

  She noticed a slight flush in Perry’s cheeks. “Right, of course. An interview is no place for alcohol. Make yourself at home. I’ll be right back with your water.”

  Carissa settled herself on the maroon leather couch and placed her notebook and tape recorder gently on the glass coffee table. She admired the sparse, chic furniture, the flat-screen television, and the abstract art hanging from the walls. She felt a little guilty about Perry’s obvious embarrassment over the alcohol issue, but she tried to shrug it off. Everyone makes mistakes, she thought. Even suave millionaires aren’t completely cool all the time. She felt reassured at the realization, as though she hadn’t believed that Perry was human until he’d blushed.

  “Here you go,” Perry said, handing her the cold glass.

  “Thank you. Thanks also for taking some time out of your Friday evening for an interview. I’m sure you’re a busy person, and that your free time is very important for you. I really appreciate having the chance to talk to you and get some data for my thesis.”

  “My pleasure. I’m happy to do anything that will contribute to a better understanding of the practice of menageamy. Besides, it’s been far too long since I’ve entertained an attractive young woman in my home.”

  Carissa felt her face light up. Don’t make a fool out of yourself. Just play it cool. “Oh, I’m sure that’s not true. You must have women over all the time.” In her
nervousness, she threw back her water glass, drinking so fast that she started to choke.

  “Whoa!” Perry cried, giving her a few slaps on the back. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah,” she gasped. “I’m fine.” Except for the part where I want to die of embarrassment. Great job, Carissa. That was the antithesis of playing it cool.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I promise.” Carissa hoped the blush she felt wasn’t noticeable and wished that Del would hurry up to divert attention from her mishap. She pretended to rifle through her notes, struggling to come up with a conversation topic to kill time while they waited.

  Suddenly, the sound of a horse’s whinny came from outside, accompanied by the clatter of hooves.

  “What the hell?” Perry asked, jumping to his feet and running outside. Carissa followed and saw a man trotting a beautiful black stallion up and down Perry’s driveway. He laughed and waved as they rushed out of the house, but didn’t stop right away, putting on a show and grinning with a cocky air.

  Carissa felt a scowl forming on her face when she saw the ostentatious display, but as she saw the man circling around the driveway, her heart skipped a beat. He was just as hot as Perry, but in a completely different way. He had shiny, dark curls that were just a touch unruly, and Carissa struggled to take her eyes off of the untamed bouncing. His eyes were dark, and he had scruff on his chin, as though he hadn’t had time to think about shaving for a few days. She couldn’t believe he’d show up so unkempt for a research interview. She was used to seeing undergraduates dressed that way, but not wealthy men well beyond their frat-party days. The businesslike side of her personality fumed at the lack of professionalism, but she couldn’t deny that her body was heating up.

  Perry looked chagrined. “I can’t believe Del sometimes.”

  “Is he always like this?”

  “Well, yeah, pretty much. When you have as much money as he does and an attitude that carefree, stunts like this are a matter of course, it seems.”

  “He sure seems to like making a scene.”

  “Del has always loved attention, especially from women. I don’t doubt part of his decision to pull this little stunt was to impress you.”

  “Well, it’s not working.”

  Perry glanced at her. “You’re not amused?”

  “No, I’m not. I guess for him this is just fun and games, but I’m here to do research, and I’m on a schedule. He’s late, and maybe he doesn’t realize it, but his shenanigans are making him even later. I have a job to do, and to have someone clowning around at my very first interview of the summer is more than a little frustrating. Imagine how you’d feel if he showed up like this to a board meeting or something. I don’t feel like he’s taking me or my project seriously.”

  “Wow. Most women think he’s hilarious. They just can’t get enough of his gags. Or they think he’s really daring and a little dangerous. He somehow manages to put forth that bad-boy vibe, which is especially easy, since he’s loaded. It means it’s easy for him to throw money at whatever problem he gets into so he can live to make mistakes for yet another day. I think the only law he’s ever broken is underage drinking in college. Admittedly, he got busted more than once and spent a couple of weekends in the drunk tank at the local police station, but he’s not exactly a hardened criminal by any stretch of the imagination.”

  “That’s exactly what I’m talking about. He’s wealthy, privileged, and phony.” She caught a sidelong glance from Perry. “Not that I think all rich people are phony. I mean, I have family members who are extraordinarily wealthy, and my family has never been hard up. It’s just this image he portrays.”

  “You’re the first woman I’ve ever heard say that about him.”

  Carissa shrugged. “I don’t know. He just doesn’t impress me.”

  She felt Perry step a few inches closer. “What does impress you?”

  Carissa felt a pulsing deep down in her pussy at the sensation of his breath on her ear. “Men who are a bit more mature, who are well-dressed and well-groomed, with good taste in art.”

  “Do I impress you, Carissa?”

  His breath on her ear, combined with the deep baritone of his voice, sent a rush of blood down to her cunt, which had already started to heat up. If Del hadn’t been there, Carissa would have had a difficult time not jumping him right in the driveway for a mid-afternoon romp. She knew, though, that as horny as she felt, and as much as she wanted to flirt back, her sense of professionalism inhibited her.

  Fortunately, Del allowed her to save face. “Hey, guys! Like my new ride?” he interrupted before Carissa had a chance to speak.

  “Del, what the hell? You can’t just tie a horse up on my lawn! I’m sure it’s against some city ordinance, and anyway, the homeowners’ association is going to be pissed. Plus, I don’t want to clean up whatever crap it ends up dumping on the yard.”

  “Oh, come on, Perry. I’m not going to be here that long. Plus, he’ll nibble on the grass, save you from having to pay the lawn care company this week. I’ll even clean up after him.”

  “Okay, but if I get a fine from the city, you’re paying it.”

  “Sure, sure, no big deal.” Del tied the horse up to the freestanding basketball hoop in Perry’s driveway, then walked over and took Carissa’s hand. “Pleasure to meet you,” he said, dropping to one knee and placing a sloppy kiss on the back of her hand. The sensation of his lips on her skin was electric, despite the fact that it was too wet, too silly. Carissa had to resist, though she could feel her pussy begin to tingle.

  I’m here on business. I’m not here to fool around, and especially not with someone as silly as him.

  “I’m Delaney Jacobsen. You can feel free to call me Del.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Carissa didn’t hide the fact that she wiped the back of her hand off on her skirt. It was all she could do not to scowl at his immaturity. “Shall we go inside and get down to business?”

  “Yes, let’s get a move on. My parents will be here for dinner soon.”

  “Oh, really?” Carissa asked. “I’d love to be able to interview them, too. Do you think they’d mind?”

  “Not at all. I think that would be great.”

  “Awesome. Okay, let’s get to it.”

  Before she turned to go in, Carissa saw the blue sedan creeping its way down the street. She froze, trying to peer in, but it was too far away for her to get a good look. Yes, she couldn’t deny there was something suspicious about it. Her body broke out in goose bumps, replacing the warm ripples that had coursed over her skin when she had flirted with Perry and shaken Del’s hand.

  “Carissa, are you okay?” Perry’s voice broke her worried thoughts.

  “Something is weird about that car. It was behind me since I got into the city, and I was just getting paranoid when it finally turned off onto one of these neighborhood streets. Yet here it is again. Plus, it’s going pretty slow, don’t you think? I can’t explain it, but I get this weird feeling every time I see it.”

  “Eh, it’s most likely nothing. Probably someone coming to visit family, and they got a little lost. These neighborhoods can get a little confusing if you’re not familiar with the area.”

  “I suppose you’re right.” She shook her head to clear it out, and then followed Perry and Del inside.

  * * * *

  Perry struggled not to stare at the gorgeous woman sitting on his couch, ruffling through a notebook. He thought her red hair, swept up in a utilitarian ponytail, was exquisite, especially the way it complemented her sparkling green eyes and the occasional smile that cracked through her aloof, professional exterior. She wore a plain black skirt and white blouse, along with black flats. She was a striking contrast to the women of Male Order that Perry was used to seeing, with carefully highlighted hair, designer dresses, and precarious high heels. It wasn’t just that she was a novelty, though. He liked her seriousness and her obvious intelligence. There was also another feeling that he couldn’t identify. Though he’d
known Carissa for all of twenty minutes, he was more attracted to her than he’d been to any other woman he’d ever met. Perry tried to shake the thoughts from his head.

  You’re being completely irrational, he thought. Just calm down and pay attention.

  Del nudged him and raised his eyebrows. “Like what you see, I take it?” he whispered.

  “Did you have a question?” Carissa asked.

  “Oh, uh, no, I’m good.”

  “In that case, here are your consent forms. Please take a look at them, and let me know if you have any questions.”

  “Do we get to pick our own pseudonyms?” Del asked.

  “No, that’s something I’ll do when I’m actually writing the paper.”

  Perry glanced over the consent form Carissa handed him and signed it without really paying attention to what it said.

  “Okay, then, ready to begin?” Carissa grinned, and Perry thought that he might melt.

  “Not quite,” Del said, and Perry grimaced. “We’re about to tell you everything about ourselves. Why don’t you tell us a little about you?”

  “I don’t think that’s really necessary,” Perry snapped. “Let’s just get talking so we have time for everything before my parents get here for dinner.”

  “As I mentioned in my earlier communications, I’m doing a study on young adults who have grown up raised by parents who practiced menageamy, and focusing on their dating and marriage practices. Do you have any other questions about the study before we begin the interview?”